Travelers who tested positive at this stage are carriers of “Omicron variants already present in Italy”, indicated Giorgia Meloni, the president of the Italian Council.
No new variant of Covid has been detected at this stage in travelers arriving from China in Italy, where they must now undergo a test, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Thursday.
Travelers who tested positive at this stage are carriers of “Omicron variants already present in Italy”, indicated Giorgia Meloni during her end-of-year press conference.
Decision-making at European level?
She also deplored that Italy’s decision to impose mandatory tests “may not be completely effective if it is not taken at European level”, stressing that these tests only concern direct flights from China, not those with layover.
Giorgia Meloni therefore asked his Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci “to write in this sense to the competent European Commissioner so that the EU takes a decision in this direction”.
The establishment of compulsory tests “proves essential to guarantee the surveillance and individualization of possible variants of the virus in order to protect the Italian population”, justified Minister Orazio Schillaci on Wednesday when announcing the Italian decision.
Explosion of cases in China
The abrupt end this month of China’s “zero Covid” policy has raised concern in several countries.
In addition to Italy, the United States on Wednesday joined a growing number of countries that decided to impose restrictions on travelers from China after Beijing announced the lifting of restrictions on foreign travel despite an outbreak of case of Covid on its territory.
In response, the United States and other countries have said they will require negative Covid tests for visitors from mainland China.
China is indeed facing the largest wave of contamination in the world. She announced this week an end to mandatory quarantines on arrival on Jan. 8, prompting many Chinese to plan to travel abroad.
